Active Vocabulary

account n доклад, сообщение, отчет

account v считать за; рассматривать как

~ for объяснять

accuracy n точность, правильность

accurate a точный, правильный

altitude n высота; высота над уровнем моря

angle n угол

area n площадь, пространство

areal a пространственный

circumference n окружность

concern v касаться, иметь отношение

to be concerned with заниматься, интересоваться чем-либо

crust n земная кора

deal (dealt) with v рассматривать вопрос; иметь дело

derive v изобретать

distribute v распределять, раздавать

distribution n распределение, распространение

envelope n оболочка

environment n окружающая среда

estimate v оценивать; подсчитывать приблизительно

estimation n оценка; подсчет, вычисление

exact a точный, строгий, верный

extend v простирать (ся), тянуть (ся)

extent n пространство, протяжение

habitat n среда обитания; место распространения

level n уровень

sea~ уровень моря

longitude n долгота

measure v измерять, мерить

obtain v получать, добывать

occur v случаться, происходить

pattern n образец; модель

plain n равнина

rate n темп, скорость

revolve v вращаться вертеться

settle v заселять, колонизировать

soil science почвоведение

surface n поверхность

survey v обозревать, производить съемку; производить исследования

variability n изменчивость, непостоянство

vast a обширный, громадный

vegetation n растительность

Additional Reading Geography and people: Ptolemy

Ancient geography came to an end with the work of Ptolemy, the best-known and most widely acclaimed astronomer and geographer of the ancient world. Little is known about Ptolemy’s life other than that he worked in the Roman Empire’s great library in Alexandria, Egypt, between A.D. 127 and 150. It was in Alexandria, the cultural center of the ancient world, that he wrote his most important work on astronomy. It was so admired, however, that it became known as the Almagest, a combination of Greek and Arabic terms meaning “the greatest”.

“A Guide to Geography”. After completing his work on astronomy, Ptolemy began preparing “A Guide to Geography”, an eight volume work on all aspects of geography. Ptolemy began the work with a detailed discussion of different methods of mapmaking and a lengthy list of all of the known places in the world, together with their latitudes and longitudes. The book also contained 26 colored maps and a carefully planned new map of the world. Ptolemy adopted the grid of latitude and longitude lines developed by the Greek geographer Hipparchus nearly 300 years earlier. This grid was based on the division of a circle into 360 parts. Using this system, every place on the earth could be given a precise location.

The problem of accuracy. Despite its appearance of accuracy, however, Ptolemy’s geography was full of errors. In his time, for example, latitude could only be approximated and there was no exact way of determining longitude at all. Therefore each listing of latitude and longitude was, at best, only a rough estimate.

Besides, Ptolemy greatly exaggerated the size of the land area from Spain to China, vastly underestimated the size of the Atlantic Ocean, and estimated the circumference of the earth to be about half its actual size. Based on Ptolemy’s inaccurate calculations, Christopher Columbus believed that Asia was close to Europe on the west. It was actually Ptolemy’s error that encouraged Columbus to set forth on his westward voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

A lasting impact. In spite of mistakes made more from the lack of accurate instruments than from ignorance, Ptolemy was extremely well respected. “A Guide to Geography” was such a monumental work that its significance to the development of the field of geography cannot be overestimated. His work remained the major geographic study for nearly 1,000 years.